Admission requirements
Admission to the Research Master Archaeology programme
30 Students max (combined with Area Specialisation Europe). Students enrolled in global archaeology have priority
Description
This course provides an overview of important topics and theoretical debates in European Archaeology. Themes are illustrated by crucial case studies taken from across European archaeology. Lectures are interspersed with practical demonstrations.
Block 1 focuses on the Prehistoric archaeology of Europe and instills familiarity with the diversity of human societies from Pleistocene hunter-gatherers to agricultural settlements, with artefact classification and pertinent dating issues.
Assignments are geared towards training in data analysis and sound archaeological reasoning, and provide a crucial preparation for the research design of the MA-thesis.
Course set-up
Themes covered
Early occupation and reasoning with missing/imperfect data
Stone artefact recognition
Human evolution and material culture development
Transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture
Radiocarbon dating and calibration
Formation of early state societies in the Metal Ages
Course objectives
Specific knowledge
Knowledge and understanding of:
Debates on the earliest occupation of Europe
Diagnostic criteria distinguishing stone artefacts
Developments in technology in concert with human evolution
The orins of agriculture
Radiocarbon dating
Bronze Age and Iron Age
Academic skills
Proficiency in presentations;
Ability to work in groups;
Ability to take perspective in an academic debate, adopting the perspective of a different viewpoint;
Moderate an academic debate
Communication of research findings to academic audience;
Writing skills
Ability to properly formulate and present an argument and demonstrate a precise and academic approach to an archaeological issue
Assess/review academic communications
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button.
Mode of instruction
Seminar with interactive presentations;
Practical demonstrations
Student presentations followed by questions and discussion.
Assessment method
Group essay (20%)
Group pecha kucha presentation (20%)
Debate moderation & reviewing written communication(10%)
Individual poster presentation (50%)
Small, practical assignments (radiocarbon calibration, lithic artefact recognition) ungraded, but obligatory.
To complete the course, all assignments must be submitted. A retake of an assignment or the presentation is not possible, a fail for an assignment can be compensated by other assignments.
Assessment deadlines
All assessment deadlines (exams, retakes, paper deadlines etc.) can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button. To view the assessment deadline(s), make sure to select the course with a code ending in T and/or R.
There are strict weekly deadlines for the assignments. Each week there will be either an assignment or a presentation due. Please note that extensions on assignments will not be given.
There is no final assignment, this means that the course will be finished on the last day of class.
Reading list
The reading list is to be compiled in collaboration with research area specialists.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudymap is mandatory.
General information about registration can be found on the Course and Exam Enrolment page.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact dr. G.L. (Gerrit) Dusseldorp.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance.